Isle Royale Forums

I've been reading a bit more (always dangerous) and have noticed that the NPS hits pretty hard on "Pack it in, pack it out." They don't seem to mention that the stores at R.H. & Windigo must sell a lot of items (e.g. candy bars, gum, ice cream, sandwiches, film, batteries, etc.) that come wrapped various ways. Are visitors required to pack this out too, or do they actully have trash cans at these locations? I ask partially because I read another thread that asked about where on I.R. trash could be disposed of and the response he got was that he had to pack it off island.

There is (or was) a big dumpster right outside the visitor center at Rock Harbor. We always deposited our 'store' trash there. I believe the idea behind "pack it in, pack it out" is to not leave your garbage at the campsites or outhouses.

Maybe I should have referenced the thread. http://isleroyaleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=135 My understanding of packing it out has also been that you don't toss or hide your trash in the backcountry, but rather remove it to an appropriate disposal site. Some of the statements that there are no facilities on I.R. to dispose of trash seem a bit broad. I've seen pictures of the dumpsters at R.H., so I assume there's some provision there. I also can't imagine that a store operates at Windigo without any refuse disposal system.

This topic really has not been discussed very often here. I was just wondering what the real facts are.

There are dumpsters on the dock at Rock Harbor, as well as smaller trash cans and a recycling bin outside the store. I believe the dumpsters are transported to the mainland on the Ranger. Not sure how the trash gets out of Windigo (NPS barge?).

If I recall the brief last year on the pier....NPS suggested that it would be more economical for them for us to pack it out on the ferry but that there were large garbage bins by the RH store (which we used)...they mainly don't want it at the campsites or on the trail of course - LNT....

zentater wrote:....NPS suggested that it would be more economical for them for us to pack it out on the ferry ...

This is how I recall it as well. Last year at Windigo there were signs on the garbage cans asking people to pack out their garbage back to the mainland. I think pack it on, pack it off, is really how they would prefer it.

OK. So it seems that there are refuse cans at R.H. & Windigo but NPS would really appreciate it if we all take our trash back to the mainland with us. I can handle that but I really don't intend to carry the wrapper off the ice cream sandwich, that I buy and eat at Windigo, all the way back to R.H. with me. I figure the cost of getting that back to the mainland is part of the 21% fee added to everything on the island.

Don,

2.5 cents from the trail....

"OK. So it seems that there are refuse cans at R.H. & Windigo but NPS would really appreciate it if we all take our trash back to the mainland with us. I can handle that but I really don't intend to carry the wrapper off the ice cream sandwich, that I buy and eat at Windigo, all the way back to R.H. with me."

No insult intended, but as an "LNT Expert" you should know that if you make the waste (by buying the wrapper as part of the ice cream sandwich), then two of the tenets of Leave No Trace apply:

Plan Ahead and Prepare:
Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.

Dispose of Waste Properly:
Pack it in, pack it out. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.

If you were travelling to ANWR, would you also question the recommendations/regulations that were put forth as part your planning? ~1/4 extra ounce seems a pittance for the momentary pleasure of ice cream after a week on the trail, and everything we pack out, as a group of in-touch hikers, saves the cost of the NPS doing it

...and, simply put, we damn sure should be doing it as an example of what an informed community SHOULD do.

Humbly,

Lor

"Make voyages. Attempt them. There is nothing else."

Zentater and MikeW are correct. There ARE public-use trash recepticles at both Rock Harbor and Windigo. Backpackers are of course welcome to use them; as encouragement to never leave something at a remote site or in a toilet.
That being said; the NPS has to load up the garbage barge and sail it back to MI whenever it gets full. This is paid for by the NPS, as part of their budget. SO, by getting willing hikers to take their trash with them, they can save on costs by needing fewer trips back to mainland. This makes more money available for other needs.
If you're passing through Windigo or RH, you can certainly drop off your existing trash. No ranger is going to give you the funny eye. If you're boarding the boat in a few hours or the next day, the NPS would just appreciate if you could take it along with you..

PoetryRiver wrote:Don,
No insult intended, but as an "LNT Expert" you should know that if you make the waste (by buying the wrapper as part of the ice cream sandwich), then two of the tenets of Leave No Trace apply:

First off, that tag was applied just because I ask so many questions. I didn't ask for it.

Second, there are two seperate issues:
1. Leaving the wilderness areas undisturbed (or minimally disturbed) by our visit.
2. Saving the NPS the cost of transporting and landfilling refuse off-island.

I have no issue with #1. I pack my own litter out and generally pick up and carry any litter I find along the trail and dispose of it at the next convenient recepticle.

I have no problem with Tom's explanation of #2 but I do question how far one should carry it. Suppose the NPS asked that you carry your trash back to Houghton and dispose of it in the city's litter cans outside the NPS property so that NPS wouldn't have to pay for the disposal? All you would be doing there is shifting the cost from NPS to the city.

I think what I'm saying is that I'll really take #2 seriously if I go in the stores at R.H. and Windigo and see that all the packaging has been removed from the products and the drinks are sold in glasses which are washed out and reused. In other words, I'll take it as seriously as NPS demonstrates that they take it. I'll let them lead by example.

I really don't think it is such a big deal. I will gladly pack all my trash out since my bag will be getting lighter as the trip proceeds. I don't believe that the NPS is trying "pass the buck". I'm going to drive my couple pounds of trash 600+ miles home with me and dispose of it locally...

The "LNT Expert" label is assigned when you reach 50 posts if I am correct.